Malikha from York first came across Olio back in his hometown of Leicester, before he’d even started university. He used it to get surplus food locally, glad to be helping cut down on food waste. Once at university he got busy and hadn’t used it much, until a friend mentioned it again and he decided to jump back in properly and became a Food Waste Hero.

“When money’s tight, I rely on Olio to pick up core ingredients so I can still cook and bake proper meals from scratch. Veg for pasta bakes, potatoes for jacket potatoes, and ingredients for baking so I can still make things like apple cake without breaking my budget.”

Malikha usually does surplus food collections from supermarkets like Lidl and Sainsbury’s, where the biggest surplus food collections tend to happen in his area, and he watches the app for community listings too. Those savings stretch past the weekly shop.

“Beyond food, I’ve managed to pick up really useful household basics. Things like cleaning supplies, Tupperware (which is a lifesaver for my batch cooking), and even sometimes laundry pods or toiletries that other students give away when they’re moving out. It all really adds up and helps cut down on those hidden living costs.”

Malikha tracks every penny. As an Accounting and Finance student at York University, he’s the kind of person who knows exactly where his money goes each month, and where he can keep more of it. 

“Studying Accounting and Finance, I’ve become hyper-aware of where every penny goes. Olio essentially acts as a financial buffer. The money that would have been spent on basic groceries can stay in our accounts to help cover other expenses like rent and university materials.”

Unfortunately, more and more students are struggling financially. More than a quarter of UK universities now run a food bank, and in Save the Student’s 2025 survey, 61% of students said they skip meals to save money.

That’s what pushed Malikha to do something about it on his own campus. As Events Secretary on the David Kato College student committee, Malikha helps run a pantry for students, stocked with food and everyday essentials that anyone can take. 

 Any best-before food that goes unrequested, plus anything spare from his Save Me collections he can’t use himself, he takes to the pantry so students can help themselves with free food.

“It makes it incredibly easy for students who are just passing through campus, or attending an event, to simply grab what they need without any stigma. A lot of students are secretly struggling with the cost of living, so seeing someone realise they don’t have to skip a meal or stress over an empty cupboard for the next few days is really rewarding.”

What does Olio mean to you?

“To me, Olio means a safety net. It takes the panic out of the current cost of living crisis and replaces it with a real sense of community sharing.”